Purpose and Scope

The College’s Technical Standards state that student pharmacists must demonstrate compassion, integrity, and a concern for others. This requires a professional and ethical demeanor appropriate to educational level, responsibility for personal actions, and emotional stability under stressful conditions that may come from their professional education.

This examination policy was designed with these standards in mind and with input from both faculty and students. The policy’s purpose is to provide expectations for student conduct related to examinations and ensure examinations given at the College of Pharmacy are adequately and consistently administered and supervised to minimize opportunities for dishonesty. Aside from maintaining academic integrity, examination procedures prepare the student for the stringent expectations of the professional licensure process.

Students should be empowered to uphold the highest degree of academic integrity and to expect the same of their classmates. It is understood that not every possible scenario regarding academic integrity can be covered within a policy; therefore, the College and its faculty may take reasonable measures to enforce the spirit of this policy in keeping with the expectations of society and the profession of pharmacy.

This policy is in effect for all examinations given within REQUIRED coursework, as well as all other required independent examination assessments (e.g., Knowledge Examinations) within the Doctor of Pharmacy program. If examinations are given within elective courses, adoption of this policy is recommended and encouraged.

I. Student Expectations

  1. Students will adhere to the PharmD Student Examination Policy and Code of Conduct during all examination-related activities. This includes, but is not limited to:
    1. Examination Sessions (the examination session starts as soon as students enter the room)
    2. Examination Reviews (group or individual)
       
  2. Students will follow all examination procedures as outlined in the PharmD Student Examination Process (see Examination Procedures).
     
  3. Students will bring all Required Materials to each examination session (see Required Materials).
     
  4. Students will avoid wearing restricted attire and leave all restricted items at home, in a locker, or a closed bag at the front of the examination room. Students wearing restricted attire or possessing restricted items may be penalized (see Restrictions and Examination Penalties).
     
  5. Students will attend all examinations. Absences (and subsequent makeup examinations) require appropriate documentation and course coordinator approval.
     
  6. Students will be on time for examinations. Students arriving late may be restricted from taking the examination and/or be subject to penalty (see Examination Penalties).

  7. Students will behave professionally and show respect for classmates and proctors. Disruptive students may be dismissed from the examination.
     
  8. Students will comply with proctor requests to turn out pockets, remove jackets, change position, or provide other means to demonstrate compliance with the examination policy. All items are subject to inspection.
     
  9. Students will stay in their assigned seats until their examination is completed unless otherwise directed by the proctor. If there is a need to communicate with a proctor, students should raise their hand.
     
  10. Students will report acts of academic dishonesty during an examination or examination review session as soon as possible. The student should:
    1. alert a proctor, when possible, so the proctor may assess the situation.
    2. report the situation to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Associate Dean of Student Affairs, or the Honor Council as the Code of Conduct outlines.
Examplify Troubleshooting
Technology Requirement
Code of Conduct
Examination Procedures
Downloadable Examination Policy

II. Examination Materials

Required Materials

Students must have the following items at their seat:

  1. Required computing device (as outlined in the PharmD Student Technology Requirements)
  2. Privacy screen
  3. University of Iowa identification card or driver’s license

Allowed Items

Students may have the following items at their seat:

  1. Power adapter
  2. Dry-erase board and marker
  3. TI-30Xa calculator (with cover removed)
  4. Plain water bottle devoid of markings, stickers, or labels
  5. Computer mouse
  6. Bright-colored foam ear plugs (in clear plastic bag)
  7. The following items may only be utilized when directed by the course coordinator:
    1. Scratch paper
    2. Standard (non-mechanical/non-refillable) #2 pencil
    3. Pre-authorized reference materials

III. Restrictions

Restricted Attire

Restricted attire includes the following:

  1. Bulky coats or hoodies with pockets (students are instead encouraged to dress in layers, ideally in sweaters/light jackets)
  2. Hats with a bill or brim
  3. Activity tracking devices (e.g., FitBit, Garmin)
  4. Bracelets
  5. Watches (regardless of type)

Restricted Items

Restricted items include everything not specifically mentioned in Examination Materials. This includes, but is not limited to:

  1. Food and drinks (other than water in a plain container)
  2. Unauthorized reference materials or resources.
  3. Mechanical/refillable pencils/pens/pencil cases
  4. Electronic devices
    1. Cell phones
    2. Programmable/graphing calculators
    3. Earbuds, headphones, etc.
    4. Any other devices capable of storing/transmitting/receiving information

IV. Examination Penalties

Course coordinators may apply the following penalties for examination policy violations:

Level of Infraction

Examples

Penalty

Minor

no apparent intention of academic dishonesty
  • Possessing/wearing lower-risk restricted items/attire (Food/drink, pen, tissues)
  • Failure to use privacy screen
  • 10% deduction from student’s earned exam score

Intermediate

some concern regarding possibility for academic dishonesty
  • Possessing/wearing medium-risk restricted items/attire (watches)
  • Unexcused absence
  • 30% deduction from student’s earned exam score

Major

high likelihood of or evidence of academic dishonesty
  • Possessing higher-risk restricted items (cell phone, 2-way communication device, written resource, cheat sheet)
  • Exam access/submission without authorization
  • Exam score of 0%
  • Report to Honor Council

Violations of the Code of Conduct will be referred to the Honor Council. Students may have additional penalties imposed by the Honor Council in keeping with the Code of Conduct and University Policy.

V. Issues During an Examination

Technology Issues

See Examplify Troubleshooting.

Emergency Evacuation

If a fire alarm or other emergency condition occurs during an examination, students will immediately close their laptops and/or turn over any materials and evacuate the building as directed by the proctors. Students will avoid discussing the examination content or accessing resources.